The Lion in Winter is a bit wobbly in San Ramon and Clybourne Park is an absolute brilliant production in San Francisco!

The Role Players Theatre in Danville is currently producing “The Lion in Winter” and the ACT Theatre in San Francisco just opened this past week with a stellar production of “Clybourne Park”. Both plays are very powerful, emotional plays with thought provoking stories and roles that actors ardently seek to add to their resumes. I will begin with the local play (“The Lion in Winter”) first as is my general tradition.

This is the story of an aging King Henry II (played by Mark Jordan) and his dysfunctional family who have gathered together at Christmas in the year 1183, purportedly so that Henry can declare the successor to his throne. His wife of 15 years, Eleanor of Aquitaine (played by Sylvia Burboeck), has been imprisoned for the past 10 years for her insubordination to her husband and to keep her out of the way as he played his games of infidelity. Eleanor (at age 61), is older than the King (at 50 years of age), and is a brilliant player of politics and chess, clever, conniving and a survivor. She is joined by her three duplicitous and dueling sons in the Kings Castle.

The oldest son is Richard (also known as Richard the Lionhearted, the crusader), is played by Cin Seperi. He is the most mature son (at age 26), who is a clever, fierce, seasoned warrior and potentially, a dangerous enemy. Richard comes across as a brutal and powerful son, but he also keeps carefully hidden a restrained tenderness and even a secret weakness for his same sex.

Geoffrey, played by Chris Dewey, is the middle son, who at age 25 is a manipulative, treacherous and deceitful young man, an orchestrator who plays his younger brother, John, as if he were an instrument in his hands. Geoffrey is perfectly willing to sell his parents down the river of “No Return”, in exchange for the opportunity to rule his father’s kingdom. John is the weak and vacillating, immature and impossibly spoiled youngest son, who, at 17 years of age, is his father’s favorite son but certainly appears to be the worst possible choice for the head of England. All three sons are hoping to be named as his successor, but what would be the price they would have to pay? In reality, the only two sons he could turn the kingdom over to would be Geoffrey or Richard, but he really dislikes them as they resist his authority.

In addition, at this Christmas gathering, the King is joined by his 23 year old mistress, Princess Alais ( played by Deyki Ronge), whom he longs to marry, if he can only get the Pope to annul his marriage to Eleanor. Henry II feels he is still young enough to father new sons with Princess Alais (the sister to Phillip, the current King of France), sons who might be better progenies to assume the stature of the English Crown in the future, and perhaps more willing than his current sons to bend to his will. Alais’s younger brother, Phillip II, King of France (played by Percival Arcibal), is also in attendance at the gathering, seeking reparations from King Henry for his failed land transfer promises. His sister, Alais, was originally betrothed to the eldest son, Richard, when she was only 8 years old, and has lived in the court for many years, during which time, King Henry, has taken her as one of his many mistresses.

The role of Eleanor is perhaps the most vibrant character in the play. She gets the best lines and in this production, actress Sylvia Burboeck is in complete command of her character. She, like Katherine Hepburn, who starred with Peter O’Toole in the famous 1968 movie version, steals the show! Mark Jordan’s portrayal of Richard II was very shaky and wooden in the first act. These two finally connected in the second act and for the most part the show greatly improved as their power plays unfolded and they played off each other.

I was bothered by what I perceived as Mark’s inability to move with the kingly bearing and command of what I perceived a man of his power and station should demonstrate. He seemed to have difficulty moving up and down the many steps required on the simple but rapidly evolving set. It was not until after the show that I met with him and found out that he has had major surgery to one of his legs and it was nearly impossible for him to easily traverse the challenging physical attributes of the set design, an element that should have been taken in consideration in the set design for an actor with his impediment.

While the other actors were quite acceptable in their performances, there was another element that cast a somewhat negative feeling to this story about these kings, queens and princes; the costumes. Some were ill fitting and just plain did not enhance their actor’s character. Such little things as the light colored boots worn by King Richard II were extremely distracting. Anytime somebody’s shoes are so distinctive that you cannot take your eyes off them for the entire performance, something is drastically wrong, as shoes should not garner more attention than the actor’s performance. Such little distractions can take one’s mind off the message of the play.

The evening started off on the wrong foot, just in the ticket distribution process! When people arrive to pick up or to purchase tickets for the show and there is a major problem in their accessing them, the adverse experience is bound to carry over into their experience of the theater.

There was only one person selling tickets and no one set up to distribute the “will call” tickets, tickets that were already paid for. My wife and I stood in line for fifteen to twenty minutes until we complained to some of the company’s volunteers about the delay in this process. Shortly thereafter, one of these volunteers went in the ticket office and retrieved “will-call” tickets for many of us who were waiting in the same line with people who were there to purchase their tickets. There were plenty of people behind us, clear out trough the entrance doors who were getting very upset about the ridiculous delay. I got the feeling in my questioning of the volunteers that the ticket distribution process is strictly under the control of the City. If the City wants this theater to be successful, they must take a hard look at their role in this ticketing process.

I have seen this play, “The Lion in Winter”, produced by a number of theater companies over the past 20+ years and have memories of several that were better. To me the greatest joy in this play is the brilliant writing and the clever maneuvering these people will go through to accomplish their ends. For the most part, the acting in this production is very good and opening night is not always the best night to judge a community theatre production. Director Eric Fraisher Hayes selected some very talented actors, but the chemistry and individual performances on opening night just did not deliver the full measure of this well written work.

“The Lion in Winter” plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, now through February 12th in the Village Theater at 233 Front Street in Danville. Call (925) 820-1278 for tickets or reservations of visit their website at http://www.danvilletheatre.com/ for more information. Tickets range in price between $15 and $25 each.

“Clybourne Park” reexamines the consequences of racial migrations and their affects on home ownership and real estate values as first examined in Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 play, "Raisen in the Sun".

A real gem of historical significance is currently playing at A.C. T. in San Francisco, in their production of Bruce Norris’s play, “Clybourne Park”. It is a play that addresses the emotions and financial consequences of racial integration from urban neighborhoods to suburban neighborhoods, in retrospect and in current times.

The housing community, “Clybourne Park”, does not really exist in Chicago, where it is portrayed, but it is representative of this suburban racial exclusion scenario that played out again and again, all over our country, through-out the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The first act takes place in a home on Clybourne Avenue in 1959, which opens with Russ and Bev in the midst of packing up their belonging as they prepare to move to a new home, closer to Russ’s office. Beverly (played by René Augesen) has a black housekeeper, Francine (Omozé Idehenre), who has assisted her for years in keeping up their home and she is present, as well, assisting Bev in her packing of dishes and bric-a-brac. Russ (played by Anthony Fusco) is listening to his tube radio, taking a break and indulging in some ice cream while the packing goes on around him. A local minister, Jim (played by Manoel Felciano), stops by the house and attempts to engage Russ in a conversation about his decision to move and to sell their home to a black family, followed by local realtor and Rotary member, Karl (Richard Thieriot) and his deaf wife, Betsy (Emily Kitchens). It is obvious that there is some seriously negative history between Russ and these men as the tries politely at first, and then not so politely, to usher them out of his home. He is angry that they are butting into his business and tells them that the deal is done, get out and leave them alone. Bev tries to placate them by telling them that this new family, even if they are “colored”, may be a great family and an asset to the community, but they will hear none of this. The fear of impending financial disaster is pervasive to the outsiders.

Francine is trying to get out of the home to attend a prior commitment, but Bev continues to engage her in conversation and in the packing process. Francine’s black husband, Albert (Gregory Wallace), stops by to pick her up for their appointment and before long he too, is drawn into the fray, and what a fray it becomes! The characterization of the 1950’s inhabitants is written much as if this were a television script from same time period, like the characters from “Father Knows Best” or “Leave It to Beaver”, somewhat cartoonish but delightfully humorous as well as poignant.

The second act takes place 40 years later in the same home’s interior, a home which was once a gorgeous craftsman style interior, with lots of oak detailing, that now appears as a vandalized, vacant and broadly deteriorated setting. The same actors now gather as new characters with a white family, Lindsey (Emily Kitchens) and Steve (Richard Thieriot) who have bought the home and are attempting to refurbish and remodel that home in a neighborhood that has been predominantly Black for the past 30 to 40 years. They, with their realtor, Kathy (René Augesen) are engaged with members of a local homeowner’s association Kevin (Gregory Wallace) and Lena (Omozé Idehenre), their lawyer Tom (Manoel Felciano), with whom they are discussing the plans for remodeling the old house. Due to current association design rules they must seek approval from the association members and their local building council. As they are discussing the legalities of their proposed changes with the lawyer and the association members, construction worker Dan (Anthony Fusco) appears periodically, asking for guidance and direction from the home owners on the project he is working on.

Now the reverse situation is apparent, a community that has made the transition in ethnicity now screens its current interlopers and the fears and frustrations once again manifest themselves through this process of gentrification.
I personally found this a brilliant piece of significant writing, a relevant look at the way we deal with and have dealt with racial change in our communities. It is a new and clever spin on the events in the celebrated 1959 Lorraine Hansberry play, “Raisin in the Sun”. I loved the outstanding acting by everyone in the cast. These are all seasoned professionals. I also loved the superb direction by Jonathan Moscone (the longtime artistic director of California Shakespeare Company). The set design by Ralph Funicello, the costumes by Katherine Roth, the lighting by Alexander Nichols and the sound design by Jeff Mockus were absolutely perfect.

“Clybourne Park” continues Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., now though February 20th. Tickets ($22 to $88) may be secured by calling the A.C. T. box office at (415) 749-2228 or visiting the website at http://www.act-sf.org/ . The beautiful theater is located at 415 Geary Street in San Francisco. I strongly recommend this as a superb production in every respect!